Kidney stones are unusual, tough, chemical deposits that form inside the kidneys. This condition also is called nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis. Let’s talk about kidney stones in women, their possible symptoms and signs.
Kidney stones are often as little as grains of sand. They pass out of the body in urine without triggering pain.
However, the deposits can be much larger – the size of a pea, a marble or perhaps bigger. Some of these larger stones are too huge to be flushed from the kidney.
Some kidney stones manage to travel into the ureter. This is the narrow tube in between the kidney and bladder. The stones might end up being trapped in the ureter. Trapped kidney stones can cause many different symptoms. These consist of:
- Severe pain
- Obstructed urine flow
- Bleeding from the walls of the urinary tract
There are a number of various types of stones. They form for a variety of reasons. Kidney stones are grouped into four various families, based on their chemical structure:
- Calcium oxalate stones – These stones represent a lot of kidney stones. Several aspects increase the risk of calcium oxalate stone development in the kidney:
- Low urinary volume
- High concentrations of calcium in the urine
- High concentrations of oxalate in the urine
- Low quantities of citrate in the urine (citrate acts to prevent stone development)
- Medical conditions that increase the risk of calcium oxalate kidney stones consist of:
- Extra parathyroid hormone (hyperparathyroidism) High uric acid levels in the blood (as in people who have gout) Bowel disease
- Surgery for obesity
- Kidney issues
- Struvite stones – These stones are made from magnesium and ammonia (a waste product). They are related to urinary tract infections triggered by particular bacteria. Struvite stones are less typical now that urinary tract infections are much better recognized and treated. Struvite stones are more typical in women than in men. They establish regularly in people who have long-lasting bladder catheters.
- Uric acid stones – Uric acid stones form since of an abnormally high concentration of uric acid in the urine. They are most likely to happen in people who have gout due to the fact that of an over production of uric acid. Gout is a disorder in which uric acid develops in the blood and gets deposited in joints.
- Cystine stones – These rare stones are the least common kind of kidney stones. They are made up of the amino acid cystine. Cystine is a foundation of proteins. Cystine stones are triggered by an inherited problem.
Symptoms of Kidney Stones in Women
Very small kidney stones in women may lose consciousness of the woman body in the urine without causing symptoms.
Bigger stones might end up being caught in the narrow ureter. This can cause:
- Severe pain in the back or side
- Nausea and vomiting
- Blood in woman urine (urine may look pink, red, or brown).
The location of pain might move downward, closer to female’s groin. This generally suggests that the stone has traveled downward in the ureter and is now closer to the bladder. As the stone approaches the bladder, you might feel:
- A more powerful desire to urinate.
- A burning experience when urinating.
When stones pass out of your body in your urine, you may see the stones exit.
How Is Kidney Stones in Women Diagnosed
Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms. She or he will inquire about any modification in the color of your urine. Your doctor will would like to know about your family history of kidney stones, and whether you have had gout.
Your doctor will check your urine for red cell. He or she might purchase a computed tomography (CT) scan or ultrasound. The CT scan can show a real stone. The ultrasound generally can not spot the actual stone. But an ultrasound can show swelling of the kidney and/or ureter which indicates that the stone is blocking urine flow.
If you have the ability to collect a stone that you passed from your urine, your doctor will send the stone to a laboratory for chemical analysis. Blood and urine tests may be done to recognize a treatable cause of the stone.
If you do not have any symptoms of kindey stones and you discover a small kidney stone in your urine, strain out the stone and wait for your doctor. Your doctor can send the stone to a medical laboratory for chemical analysis.
Expected Duration of Kidney Stones Passing In Females
When a kidney stone becomes caught in the ureter, it might remain there until your doctor eliminates it. Or, it ultimately might move downward and pass on its own. It can take hours, days or weeks for a stone to pass.
As a rule, the smaller sized the stone, the more likely it is to hand down its own. The bigger the stone, the higher the risk that it will stay caught in the ureter. A trapped stone can substantially block the flow of urine.
How to Prevent Kidney Stones in Women?
In general, you can help to prevent kidney stones by consuming lots of fluids and preventing dehydration. This dilutes your urine and decreases the possibility that chemicals will combine to form stones.
You can prevent calcium oxalate stones by eating low-fat dairy products and other calcium-rich foods. Taking calcium supplements, however, can increase the risk of stone formation.
Women who excrete excessive oxalate into their urine should prevent eating foods high in oxalate. These foods consist of beets, spinach, chard and rhubarb. Tea, coffee, soda pop, chocolate and nuts also include oxalate, but these can be used in moderation. Eating too much salt and meat can cause more kidney stones to form.
After your doctor gets an analysis of the chemical composition of your kidney stones, she or he can suggest medications or modifications in your diet that will assist to avoid stones from forming in the future.
Certain medications may increase the risk of stones. So your doctor may wish to adjust your regular medications if you have had kidney stones.
How Is Kidney Stones in Women Treated
In many cases, a trapped kidney stone eventually flushes out of the urinary tract on its own, specifically if you drink lots of fluids. With a doctor’s supervision, it is most likely that you can remain at home. You can take pain medicine as needed till the stone dislodges and flushes away.
Sometimes, it is essential to have your stone got rid of or gotten into fragments that can pass more easily. This might hold true if:
- The stone is too big to pass on its own.
- Your pain is severe.
- You have infection.
- You have considerable bleeding.
Medical professionals have a number of choices for ruining stones lodged in the urinary tract:
- Extracorporeal lithotripsy – Shock waves used externally break kidney stones into smaller sized pieces. The fragments are then swept away in the urine stream.
- Percutaneous ultrasonic lithotripsy – A narrow, tube-like instrument is passed through a small cut in the back to the kidney. There, ultrasound breaks up the kidney stones in women. The stone fragments are then gotten rid of.
- Laser lithotripsy – A laser breaks up stones in the ureter. The stones then hand down their own.
- Ureteroscopy – A really little telescope is placed into the urethra as it makes its way to the bladder. The doctor finds the opening of the affected and guides the scope up the ureter until it reaches the stone. The stone is then either fragmented or gotten rid of.
It is uncommon that surgery is required to remove a kidney stone.
Once a kidney stone has actually been removed, you can often prevent new stones from forming with medications or changes in diet.
When To Call A Professional
Call your doctor whenever you have:
- Severe pain in your back or side, with or without nausea and vomiting.
- Abnormally regular urination or a relentless desire to urinate.
- A burning and discomfort when urinating.
- Urine that is colored pink or tinged with blood.
Caught kidney stones can cause a urinary tract infection. Call your doctor if you have fever and chills, or if your urine becomes cloudy or nasty smelling.
Prognosis for Kidney Stones in Women
The prognosis varies from person to individual. Up to half of people who pass a kidney stone will never ever pass a second. For people with a persistent kidney stone, the diagnosis depends upon the reason for the kidney stones and the reaction to preventive treatments.
